"WRECK OF A VESSEL.-About three o'clock yesterday afternoon the ice swept the small schooner Free Mason from her moorings below Walker's Point Bridge, and at the same time knocked a hole in her hull, causing her to fill with water and capsize, in which condition she drifted toward the lake. The tug Davidson started after the vessel and made fast to her just as she reached the Straight Cut; but the current at this point swept out into the lake at the rate of eight or nine miles an hour, rendering futile every effort of the powerful tug to get the wreck back into the river, and both were carried into the lake. While passing out of the harbor the vessel had her stern completely stove in, and lost her mainmast, a portion of her rigging, and both anchors. Her small boats were both swept out into the lake, but were secured by the tug. The vessel was towed around and made fast to the southside of the South Pier, where she lies at the present a total wreck. The Free Mason was a vessel of about twenty-seven tons burden, and was owned by Messrs. Mass and Baumgartner, two hard-working, poor men. They estimated their loss at $1,300."
--Milwaukee Sentinel Tuesday 4/30/1866

Service History

The following article in the Green Bay Advocate dated May 24, 1855 talks about a vessel called the Free Mason which appears to be the same vessel except other sources say the build date was sometime in 1854.

"NEW VESSEL.--The Free Mason is the name of a neat, trim built little schooner, just completed in this place, by W.S. Bouton, who is her owner and commander. She is a very handsome craft, and said to be a fast sailer, and is now making regular trips between this city and Milwaukee and Chicago, in the shingle and lumber trade."

Today

Brendon Baillod states in his book Fathoms Deep But Not Forgotten: Wisconsin Lost Ships that the schooner Free Mason's remains were probably removed.